London Mayoral, London Assembly and Local Government elections on 1st May

[T_i_B]

Just thought that I might as well do what seems like the annual thread about what's going on in the polls this year.

This year we have Ken Livingstone v Boris Johnson in the London Mayoral elections, plus the elections for the London assembly so any London based DUer's are more then welcome to give us their take on what's going on down in the capital as all I ever see is from the likes of Metro and the Evening Standard, who are all very much anti-Ken and pro-Boris.

Plus there are local elections this year, so feel free as well to tell us what's going on with your local council and what's likely to happen in the elections round your way. If course you are more then welcome to have a rant about the state of your council if needs be.

And here's a website that might be of some use to you guys.

http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/

[non sociopath skin]

1. Here in Northumberland, NuLab is poised to receive the wrath of the electorate ...

... in the first elections for the huge, unwieldy Northumberland Unitary Council which nobody here wanted.

Already, the Labour Party has deselected the Leader and former Leader of the existing Northumberland CC who brokered the deal with the Blairites, in the face of opposition from every District Council, and left us with a massive democratic deficit. All that remains is to see how big the majority on the new authority will be for the "Anti-Socialist Coalition" of Tories and Lib Dems (they've always been joined at the hip hereabouts).

This will leave South East Northumberland with its first Tory Council since local government began. Nice one, Tony and Gord.

Still, let's be thankful for small mercies. At least Boris Johnson won't be Mayor ....

The Skin

[T_i_B]

2. "At least Boris Johnson won't be Mayor ...."

I wouldn't be so sure myself I'm afraid. Boris has got the Evening Standard, Metro, London Lite and the London Paper all gunning for him and I suspect that, coupled with the Lee Jasper row and the fact that Ken Livingstone has been in office for some time all adds up to an election that will much much harder for Livingstone to win.

And the worst thing of all that that, however good a writer Boris Johnson is, he appears to be quite patently unfit to run London. Do we really want the Mayor of London to be quite that befuddled?

[non sociopath skin]

6. Sorry, what I meant was that Boris won't be Mayor of Northumberland.

Indeed, I don't think he'd get the lickings of a dog even in Tory areas in the North.

But it looks like The Greatest City In The World TM is on the point of electing him. Unbelievable.

The Skin

[Anarcho-Socialist]

3. We're getting a Durham Unitary Council here too

Labour will likely still hold power. A collapse in the turnout could see occasional Tory and Lib Dem pick-ups. Independent candidates have done well in recent elections, especially here in the soon-to-be-former Sedgefield District Council. It'll be interesting to see if any independents can get elected to the transitionary unitary council.

I suspect the BNP will be fielding candidates around these parts. They have three of the most powerful propaganda tools in the country, the Daily Mail, the Daily Express, and The Sun. These parties reject the BNP as a political party, but yet play to its hateful agenda. I don't think the BNP will pick up any seats, but I am interested in what voter numbers they manage to pull.

[tjwmason]

4. Very good point about the B.N.P.

It's hardly surprising that they garner support when people read in their 'newspapers' on an almost daily basis that "the immigrants are coming to get you" or similar - even if the papers do reject the B.N.P., they fuel it with their commentary. I'm very glad to hear that you don't see them gaining seats, but it's very worrrying when they gain more votes.

[non sociopath skin]

7. Durham has always been more solidly Labour as a county.

So I think you're right, they'll probably stay comfortably in charge.

No sign of the BNP in Northumberland yet. But we'll see...

The Skin

[non sociopath skin]

18. One BNP candidate in Northumberland ... in a relatively affluent ward.

The Skin

[non sociopath skin]

25. This is a bit worrying.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7340000/newsid_7341600/7341637.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&asb=1&news=1&bbcws=1

The Skin

[muriel_volestrangler]

26. Getting elected unopposed doesn't necessarily mean much

I seem to remember the Monster Raving Loonies had one or two people elected unopposed to parish councils (and did a good job, for all I know). It may show a bit of disorganisation among the other councillors - they'd have known there were seats to be filled, and you'd have thought they could have persuaded some non-BNP person to stand, and then I'd hope they'd have won the election. If it was generally realised the BNP were going to get on unopposed, and no-one worried, then that is of a bit more concern.

[non sociopath skin]

27. My experience is that many smaller Parish Councils struggle for members.

I wonder how many BNP-ers who HAVEN'T stated their Party are sitting on them around the country ...

The Skin

[T_i_B]

12. There is a BNP candidate for 1 ward on my council

The ward in question is all very recently built indeed, affluent and yes, it's quite white, but that didn't stop the BNP nutter claiming that in 10 years that ward will be completely non-white and then claiming to be to be the only voice of "realism" in town! :crazy: Even if they don't have much chance of winning they can still take enough votes off the others to have a significant effect on the final result.

Anyway, I think I'd best stop rabbiting on about my own council after myself and the Lib Dem councillor for Castle Ward turned last years thread into a Colchester parochial piece.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=191x20852

[LeftishBrit]

16. You've pointed out a sad and important truth...

The hate-tabloids would deny boosting the BNP and such openly fascist types, but they do help to build up the attitudes that contribute to such people's support.

[D-Notice]

5. I'm stuck.

I really like Red Ken and think he's really good for London, but, for obvious reasons, I can't vote for Labour. Boris doesn't know anything, so he's out of the reckoning for either of my votes.

It leaves Lib Dems & Brian Paddick... Can I trust a copper though?

Greens? Respect (or whatever they're calling themselves)?

[non sociopath skin]

8. If it were me, I'd still go for Ken.

I loathe NuLab but I still vote for our local Labour MP because he's a good bloke who has opposed the Leadership on many key issues, including Iraq, and a better alternative that the other candidates.

The Skin

[Anarcho-Socialist]

9. Yes I agree n/t

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. Especially with the supplementary vote system

People can vote for whoever is their 'ideal' candidate, and then put Ken as their 2nd choice - because I can't see Paddick, or anyone else, getting anywhere near the Ken/Boris 1st round votes.

[LeftishBrit]

15. I would too...

Ken is hardly a Blairite/Brownie; and the Mayor of London isn't part of the PM's majority the way an MP would be. And as far as I can gather, the LibDem has a snowball's chance in hell, and the only alternative to Ken is Boris the Prat.

But it's a long time since I lived in London.

[T_i_B]

19. Ah, LeftishBrit....

...since your here I might as well ask about whether or not the wheelie bin saga is still dragging on round your neck of the woods and if it is likely to have any effect on the council elections.

I have to say that I don't see the national press making quite as much fuss over bi-weekly bin collections now that there's the Ken v Boris show for them to cover instead.

[LeftishBrit]

21. Yes, still dragging on; but I don't think it'll make a huge difference...

Can't see the Tories really making headway with the City Council. Especially as they already have control of the County Council, and are doing a pretty bad job.

[T_i_B]

22. Any chance of seats changing hands...

between Lib Dem's, Labour and Green's then?

And is the wheelie bin pallaver much of an issue or are you not hearing much about the local elections? I must admit that I haven't seen too much about the local elections so far myself.

[LeftishBrit]

23. We're not hearing a lot...

people are canvassing, but there isn't a lot of excitement. I'd be surprised if there were lots of changes, wheelie bins or no. I may not care for the Lib Dem wheelie-bin policies (I've nothing against wheelie bins; I'd just like weekly collections); but I'm still voting for my Lib Dem councillor, whom I know personally and has been helpful on several issues. I think others will tend to vote on similar grounds - if they vote at all, which a majority won't.

As regards the Greens, we had a very good Green councillor and activist, Mike Woodin, who sadly died terribly young a couple of years ago; and I think the Greens may not do as well without him, but we shall see.

[Greeby]

11. Welcome to Neasdenburg

[non sociopath skin]

13. Ain't it the truth! LOL

Not sure Boris would be that subtle if Cameron and Crosby let him out of his strait-jacket before the election, though... :evilgrin:

The Skin

[moggie]

14. Steve Bell's "boggler boggler" always makes me smile

But maybe he hasn't noticed that Routemasters haven't gone "boggler boggler" since the early 90s, when the AEC/Leyland engines were replaced with Cummins and Iveco units.

[Greeby]

17. Day 2 of Neasdenburg

[Greeby]

20. And Day 3

[Greeby]

24. The final day

[T_i_B]

28. As it's all on Thursday

I'll give this thread a :kick:

I have to say that when the subject is brought up all I ever hear is people hoping that Labour get kicked in the knackers for raising taxes. Make of that what you will.

[muriel_volestrangler]

29. Vote early, and vote often!

Thanks to our oh-so-secure voting system: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7370025.stm

Our ward looks like it'll go as it usually does - Lib Dems over the Tories, with Labour nowhere. The Tories did win the ward a few years ago when people objected to the Lib Dem council giving planning permission for a Waitrose supermarket (heh - they say a Waitrose is highly correlated with a large Lib Dem vote) but the next year everyone calmed down, and the Lib Dems won it again. No talk around this year of anything in particular.

[non sociopath skin]

30. Well, elections do get a little demoralising when you're half-heartedly rooting ....

... for the least worst of a number of lousy options, as I find myself doing.

Strange Days.

The Skin

[LeftishBrit]

31. Over here in Oxford, Rubbish seems not to be as big an issue as it was...

the chief debate seems to be whether the Covered Market is safe in Labour/Lib Dems' hands, or needs the Tories to rescue it (not sure about the former; definitely sure the latter is NOT true). Also, as always, the Tories are accusing Labour and LibDems of charging too much Council Tax. Despite a determined effort by the Tory candidate in our ward, I am pretty sure the LibDem will be re-elected. I don't have such a strong feel for what will happen with the Council as a whole.

[T_i_B]

32. Today's the day!

So as ever I'm giving this thread another :kick:

And yes I've already voted for who I want as borough councillor. I must admit that as ever it's a choice of the least worst option but there you go.

[non sociopath skin]

33. Done my democratic duty, too.

Didn't suffuse me with a warm glow, but there you go ....:eyes:

The Skin

[Morris Onions]

34. another vote for the Raving Loonies?

:evilgrin:

[T_i_B]

35. And you Morris?

[Morris Onions]

38. Yes.. I have put my vote in for the...

Loonies!

;-)

[non sociopath skin]

40. Very candid of you so to describe them!

The Skin

[non sociopath skin]

36. No. Boris Johnson isn't standing here.

:evilgrin:

The Skin

[Morris Onions]

39. lol!

:9

[D-Notice]

37. Living in London...

1st choice Red Ken, followed by Yellow Brian for Mayor

For the London Assembly, I went for the Lib Dems

[LeftishBrit]

41. In Oxford, voted to re-elect my Lib Dem City Councillor

He is a good guy, and has been quite helpful to me and to people whom I know; though the Oxford Lib Dems as a whole are a bit incompetent. Also the main opposition in my ward was the Tory, who seemed to be going all out and making a big effort with campaigning and leaflets; and I didn't want the Tories making any inroads. Apart from my ideological opposition to them, the Tories control the County Council and are BLOODY HOPELESS!

[fedsron2us]

42. Interesting looking at the candidate list in my ward

Lots of familiar names but they all seem to have shuffled to different parties. The biggest surprise was to find the wife of the former local election agent for the Labour party standing as a UKIP candidate. He was very Old Labour and had become extremely disillusioned in the later years of Blair's government. Quite what possessed this couple to defect to UKIP is beyond me but I expect that they simply could not bring themselves to join the Tories or the Liberal Democrats. It is a shame because the local Labour candidates are not a bad bunch but they have been completely let down by the Parliamentary Labour party in Westminster.

Round here the real animosity is between the local Tories and the Lib Dems who are the only ones with a realistic chance at the polls. The picture is complicated by the fact that quite a lot of the 'Conservative' candidates standing at this election were former Liberal Democrat councillors who left the party after an outbreak of savage infighting. The surviving Lib Dem caucus contains one or two decidedly dodgy chraracters that are not really not fit to hold public office. I know that there are one or two Liberal Democrat sympathiser on this board but I am afraid I am not going to vote for people who are likely to run off with the cutlery if invited for dinner.

[non sociopath skin]

43. I wonder if re-alignment is going to be the name of the game for the next few years, Feds.

Things feel more moribund politically than I've ever known them with even an ascendant Tory party seeming to totally lack any kind of "big picture" agenda, other than the usual right-wing one of robbing the poor to pay the rich.

Not good. Not good at all.

The Skin

[fedsron2us]

48. All wards in my area gone to the Tories

The Lib Dems failed to gain a single seat despite some desperate last minute muck raking. Labour are still on a spiral to oblivion, though at least they did find enough candidates to stand unlike at the last local poll. In my ward, Mash Barn, which only decade ago returned a Labour councilor they came last finishing even behind the UKIP candidate(ex Labour). In fact Labour actually polled more votes in the middle class true blue area of Manor than they did in their traditional strong seats. If the Labour party want to know why they are not doing better than they need to find out why the relatively poor white working class voters who make a considerable portion of the electorate in my ward (classed as a deprived area by the EU) deserted them. Maybe it is because they think (rightly in my mind) that the Parliamentary party takes them for granted and no longer has their interests at heart.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

44. Results in my area

My town elected four seats to the new unitary County Durham Council. Labour 2, Lib Dem 1, Independent 1.

County-wide the results are:
Labour 67, Lib Dem 27, Independents 22, Conservatives 10, Others 0

The results for the old 2005 county council were:
Labour 53, Lib Dem 5, Independents 3, Conservatives 2

[non sociopath skin]

45. A question, AS, as I haven't seen the breakdown.

How many of the Independents were actually disgruntled Labour candidates, as reported in the local press?

The Skin

[T_i_B]

51. The independent vote is worth looking at

Certainly it had an effect in Wales. How much of it is Old Labour types who've got fed up of the control freaks and stood for election on their own for instance?

I know that some people are fond of palming off all independents as Tories/Socialists (delete as applicable) in disguise but I always reckon that independents should be looked at with an open mind. You never know otherwise.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

53. It's a grey area

But in my town council, the independents swept local Labour from power two election cycles ago. In this town, the independents were a grass roots movement in which opposition and disenchantment with local Labour manifested itself. Other independent caucuses have sprung up around the county since then.

In working class Co. Durham the Tories are still reviled, and until recently the Lib Dems weren't considered an effective and/or reliable choice. I don't know how many local independents were ex-Labour councillors, but I suspect that most are not. I would imagine that many independent candidates were just former Labour voters, attracting votes from former Labour voters.

I think county-wide, many Labour voters stayed home, or felt compelled to vote for independents, or voted Lib Dems on the basis that the national party are left of New Labour.

One thing I have noticed is that UKIP haven't bothered to stand candidates in many areas. In the past they stood candidates in most constituencies, and council wards. I guess their bankruptcy has meant their collapse as a political force on the right. Ex-UKIP voters on the whole seem to have gone to the BNP, with a small smattering voting Tory.

[non sociopath skin]

54. One aspect of the prize NuLab cock-up in Northumberland was that ...

... not content with dumping a single unitary on the county - as opposed to the TWO unitaries which everyone else wanted - they then decided that in Labour's strongest areas there would have to be women-only short-lists.

This elbowed out a number of influential councillors who stood as independents, split the Labour vote and let the Lib Dems through the middle.

So perish all enemies of democracy!!!!

The Skin

[D-Notice]

46. Blue Boris wins London

BBC

Fuck

[non sociopath skin]

47. Hey, EG, keep your powder dry till we find out which Cheneyesque Party Hack ...

... Cameron will be parachuting in as the REAL mayor.

The Skin

[T_i_B]

50. Darius Guppy perhaps?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Johnson#Controversies

Johnson became embroiled in controversy in 1995<34> after a recording of a telephone conversation made in 1990 became public knowledge. On the tape Johnson is heard agreeing to supply the address of the News of the World journalist Stuart Collier in order for his former schoolmate Darius Guppy to have Collier beaten up for knowing too much about Guppy's failed insurance fraud. Johnson asked how badly Collier was to be beaten up, and Guppy replies "He will probably have a couple of black eyes and a... cracked rib or something like that". This part of the conversation ended with Johnson agreeing to supply the address. Despite the call from Guppy, Johnson did not alert the police and the incident only became public knowledge when the conversations was summarised in the Daily Mail.

[D-Notice]

52. That's what I'm afraid of...

It'll be a disaster whoever they actually have

[LeftishBrit]

49. I keep thinking of the old saying...

'The trouble with political jokes is that sometimes they get elected.'